The Spanish government said it will deploy military units to reinforce police in the North African enclave of Ceuta after migrants broke through the fences into the city from Morocco on Thursday, overwhelming the Guardia Civil police force.
Video footage showed hundreds of migrants swimming over from the Moroccan side using inflatable inner tubes and other flotation devices, and others breaking through a gate in the fence and running into the city.
The scene was reminiscent of a crossing in 2021, when some 10 000 people from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, many of them minors, entered the enclave of 85 000 people in days.
A Guardia Civil spokesperson said earlier the migrants were “massively entering from the sea” through the Tarajal breakwater and police were overwhelmed but could not provide any estimates for the numbers.
State television TVE reported that 2 000 to 3 000 people had crossed. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm that report.
The Interior Ministry said three platoons of 20 soldiers each. a diving unit and a military vessel would be deployed by Friday.
Special police intervention units were also being reinforced to a total of 200 personnel, it said.
The Ceuta regional government had earlier called for Madrid to deploy the army to guarantee safety and close the border with Morocco.
